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What's Up, Up Here? All the news and gossip for Jan. 27-Feb. 2

The Forest Service said last week that it is expected to have two projects—including a solar facility at the Mono Lake Visitors Center—connected to the grid soon. The Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center’s solar array was installed in June 2011 as part of a federal green energy stimulus project, but the panels have not been in operation due to an impasse in contract negotiations. …

Get well wishes to Maisey Urdi, the very fine Golden Retriever rescue dog who just won’t do “business” unless unleashed. She got tangled up with a car Monday morning during the snowstorm. All is well—no broken bones, but still …

Winter finally arrived, but at the Visitors Bureau, the aforementioned Urdi and his gang already are at work on fishing Opening Day set for April 28 this year. They’re going to spice it up, no matter what the conditions. An Opening Day concert and a potential “Adopt-a-Trout” contest are in the works, and that’s just for starters. …

Heartfelt sympathy for the family and friends of Sarah Burke, the Canadian freestyle skier who died Jan. 19 from complications of a Jan. 10 head injury in the Park City Mountain Resort Eagle superpipe. This is the same superpipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce was seriously injured in 2009. Onlookers reported that Burke had completed a trick fairly well yet fell onto her head, and the accident did not appear to be very severe. Moments later, however, she went into cardiac arrest while still on the ski slope, making her chance of survival extremely low. She appeared regularly at Mammoth Mountain for competitions and training. She was 29. …

You’d think, perhaps, that having the Patriots in the Super Bowl is a good thing for New Englanders everywhere, but history says no. Ski resorts in Western Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine will have a dead weekend, no matter what the snow conditions. …

Spike Todd is home from the hospital, there’s snow on the ground. Feels like Mammoth. …

Big, big rock slide on the Big Oak Flat Road in Yosemite National Park last weekend. Consequently, Yosemite Valley is currently not accessible from Highway 120. Try Highways 140 and 41 for the foreseeable future. Says intrepid Anita Hatter, “Guess what? No matter what, the mountain is always bigger than you.” …

Happy Birthday, Jim Stimson! May everyone get a snowstorm on his/her birthday. …

From Our Pal Andy Rostar on Facebook: “Just got reprimanded for simply standing at the bus stop at Snowcreek by an obviously lost tourist in a 2wd Escalade, no chains, four feet of snow on her roof, completely covered windshield, windows wide open, and no wipers. As she slid down the hill 50 feet away from me, she yelled, ‘Get outta the road before you get hit!’’’ …

This from Cleland Hoff: “Disabled Sports needs volunteers for a Mammoth-Reno-Mammoth drive to transport three mono skis, with skis and outriggers from the Alpine Meadows Adaptive Ski School (DSUSA Far West) for the upcoming Race Camp. The Alpine staff there can have them in Reno for us to pick up. We need them here by Friday evening, Feb. 3, and returned ASAP after 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3. We are looking for any volunteers who might be driving this way in a truck or SUV and be willing to transport!” …

It’s worth saying every time we get snow: Public Works Director Ray Jarvis and Maintenance Superintendent Dave Beck have the best snow removal crew this side of Mars. …

A little warm-up for the cold and dark nights: the Lone Pine Film Museum will be hosting a 15-week long series of documentary-film screenings and discussions. The selected films will cover a multitude of topics including geopolitics, government corruption, the financial industry, environmental issues, social issues, health care, conspiracy theories, secret societies and alleged cover-ups. The event is open to the public for free. Featured filmmakers: Michael Moore, Al Gore, Peter Joseph, Dylan Avery and other provocative filmmakers. …

This from Alana Levin: “Organizers of the Sixth Annual June Lake Triathlon are excited to announce that registration is now open for “The toughest race in the most beautiful place.” Put July 7 on your calendar, and make your 2012 resolution happen!”